REVIEW: Fated (The Soul Seekers) by Alyson Noel

 

Author: Alyson Noel

Series: The Soul Seekers

Pages: 352

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: St Martin.s Press

Amazon: Fated

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

REVIEW: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Fated is the first book in the Soul Seeker series by Alyson Noel.

Daire Santos has spent a majority of her life traveling the world with her make-up artist mother until a trip to Marrakesh where she loses control and attacks an actor she is seeing. Most recently Daire has had animals follow her, the crows mock her and glowing people are everywhere, she has no idea what is happening to her and not knowing what to do and concerned that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother Jennicka packs her off to Enchantment, New Mexico to a grandmother, Paloma she’s never met who seems to believe she can help with what she is experiencing.

Daire comes across as sullen, bratty and selfish; I couldn’t connect with her at all unfortunately. I usually like my heroines to be confident and kick-butt but there was something about Daire that really put me off.

Daire’s grandmother was sweet but also evasive; she explains what is happening to Daire and her purpose as a ‘Soul Seeker’ – someone capable of navigating their way between the world of the living and the dead but there was so much detail that I felt it was information overload.

I found the premise of Fated to be fascinating but unfortunately it failed to capture and hold my attention and the main characters really let it down, Daire to me wasn’t likeable whatsoever and the secondary characters I believe could have been further developed, I don't feel like we really got to know any of them.

The love interest is Dace, he appeared in Daire’s dreams before she met him along with his evil brother Cade who is out to steal her powers. I didn’t find the brothers appealing at all, they lacked depth and Daire’s whole persona seemed to change when Dace was around.

This is my first book by Ms. Noel and although I enjoyed the cultural and magical aspects, the pacing for me was a tad slow and it seemed to really drag on.

Fated is a book that didn’t truly captivate and hold my attention; I went in with high expectations but unfortunately it didn’t deliver.